2005 Honda Accord EX-V6 6-speed (Video Clip)

* Click HERE to see a video on the Honda Accord Coupe *

A wolf in sheep's clothing


2001 was a very sad year for Honda sporty car enthusiasts. Not only did they loose the Acura Integra and more importantly the Type-R to the RSX, but Honda pulled the plug on their very desirable GT coupe: The Prelude. This car enjoyed a long career that spanned back to 1979 when it was basically a 2-door Accord. Five generations later, Honda decided to can the Prelude as sales had been on a steady decline for a few years and importing them was becoming too expensive.

2003 came around with the promise of an all-new Accord sedan and coupe. Honda wasted no time in introducing all models: from the base 4-cylinder 5-speed sedan to the new grand touring coupe, the EX-V6 6-speed. Honda has not been able to convince many young people that the Accord Coupe is a sports car (that is what modifying a Civic is for), but they seem to have been able to tap into the crowd that use to drive the Prelude.

The base LX-G Accord Coupe's price begins at $25,700 and will reach $34,300 in EX-V6 6-speed trim. Ours was the 6-speed.

Exterior styling

The look of the 2003 Accord has left some cold and some enthusiastic. The shape of the Accord, especially the Coupe, is very non-descript. Its lines are exceptionally unadorned and fluid in a plain almost boring way. The nose is wedge shaped, much like the sedan, although it sports its own distinctive grille. The shape of the taillights, much like cat ears, reminds me of the 1992 to 1996 Prelude lights; they are somewhat like an evolution and a nod to that car.

The only let down in as far as the exterior is concerned is the fact that the paint had tons of orange peel in the finish; very unfortunate. The panels were skilfully aligned.

Interior styling

As in just about every Honda and Acura car or truck, the front seats are excellent. They provide commendable support and are very comfortable. The driving position is also extremely good thanks in part to the tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The leather that wraps these sport buckets is supple and of top quality. The back seat is reserved for two people at the most. The comfort level offered by the bench is quite good however legroom is very tight.

The dashboard is another example of Honda savoir faire. Taking into consideration that it is comprised of many different pieces, the fit and finish is masterful. The plastics are grade "A" quality and look and feel it too. The upper portion of the center console is where all the controls are found. They are located around a small screen where the temperature, fan position and audio information are displayed. At first, it can be a little confusing to try and work out what's where. The steering-wheel mounted buttons are very simple and easy to use.

The gauges are large, effortless to read and the red and white backlighting is nice. My only suggestion would be, to complement the red V6 badge, in placing the tachometer in the center of the cluster or at least making it bigger. That way, there would be a sportier difference to the Coupe's interior over that of the Sedan.